Frozen Desert

All the reports of strange winter weather around the country have been quite curious.  So, it really shouldn't be such surprise that we experienced record lows here in the Sonoran desert the past two nights.  However, 18 degrees is pretty darn cold for the desert, especially with a wind chill factor around 5 degrees!  I know this doesn't seem like such a big deal for those in other parts of the country that are having to deal with awful winter storms that last much long than two days, but for this desert rat it's a new experience.  One that most folks, and their houses, around here aren't prepared to handle.  Many awoke to frozen pipes yesterday morning, some even bursting causing extensive water damage.  After classes yesterday afternoon I passed the building on campus that houses most of our Bio and Chem labs.  Water was literally poring out of the building from the third floor.  Quite a mess was made when the desert froze.  

 

Fortunately, that extreme (well, extreme by Tucson standards anyway) weather has passed.  It is now a sunny and breezy 50 degrees at 2:45pm.  I was also able to get some photos of the fountain at my apartment complex at 12:30pm today.  There was a conspicuous reminder of the previous 24 hours just begging to be photographed. 

Oh the Creativity of Our Local Drivers

Earlier this week I documented yet another of the many examples that illustrates the creativity of Tucson drivers.  On our way home from another long day of classes, my roommate and I stopped at the grocery store.  It was in the parking lot that we encountered a seemingly oblivious driver who had positioned the vehicle, upon parking, so that it occupying two spaces.  As I was reaching for my camera, to commit the moment to pixels, an individual on a cell phone emerged from the store and headed towards the area of the parking lot where the aforementioned vehicle was parked; with no regard for the traffic driving through the parking lot (or safety in general).  We then watched that individual get into the poorly parked vehicle and leave, remaining on the cell phone the whole time.  Thankfully it was raining a bit that day and I was able to photograph this moment of creativity sans the vehicle itself.

Evidence left by today's creative driver

 I would like to mention that in this instance, the creative driver was operating a vehicle with divided attention.  However, often times I witness creative driving by Tucson drivers who don't seem to be holding an electronic device, or anything but the steering wheel for that matter.  This is the why I like to call them creative drivers and not careless, dangerous, distracted, or oblivious drivers even though they are surely that too.  The lesson I have learned while residing in the city I have come to love is:  while driving expected the unexpected, quite literally, at all times.

Cleaning Feet?

In my latest trip to Walmart.  Yes, unfortunately I do make the occasional Wally-world run.  For some reason that is the only store in this city that carries a couple of my daily sundries.  So, I make a monthly trip just for those items, which is another entry entirely.  So, moving on from that digression.  On my last trip I ran across a new item (new to me anyway) on one of the isles housing the cleaning supplies that forced me take pause, and a picture.  I think it was the bright green color of this Slipper Genie product that caught my eye more than the ridiculous concept of it.  The label reads "Slip em on and they'll do the cleaning for you," and calls them "Microfiber cleaning slippers."  Now, I don't know about you, but I don't actually walk every square inch of my tile flooring.  I guess dusting the high traffic area is better that no cleaning at all, but I can get the same result by walking around in my socks!  The discovery of the Slipper Genie has prompted me to ask, are we that busy or just that lazy?